Tag Archives: resurrection

From time to time people ask me what resources I utilize in preparing sermons or series. This was something I encountered quite a bit with the series we just finished at Eastbrook, “Resurrection Hope,” on 1 Corinthians 15. So, let me pull aside the veil a little bit on how I approached five weeks on this brilliant chapter from Paul’s letter to the church in Corinth.

I always begin series planning far in advance with in-depth study, meditation, and prayer over the text I am approaching. In this case, I spent time reading all of 1 Corinthians, giving particular attention to observe repetition of words, key themes, and flow of logic within chapter 15. I took some time to study parallel passages in Paul’s letters, such as 1 Thessalonians 4-5 and 2 Corinthians 4-5.

For each week ahead of preaching, I studied the passage from the NIV with consultation to various other English translations (e.g., ESV, NRSV, NLT) and the Greek text via the free Logos Bible app, which has an amazing amount of study tools accessible for free.

In a recent posthumously published series of lectures, I came across this statement by Lesslie Newbigin on the resurrection. These words particularly leaped out to me in light of our recent journey through 1 Corinthians 15 at Eastbrook Church called “Resurrection Hope.”

Christ gives us the victory because He has broken the power of sin, and in breaking the power of sin, He has broken the power of death. Death is still a fact. In Adam all die. The barrier is still there. What we are assured of in Christ is that death is not the last word, but that God in His mercy is able out of the ruin of corruption and death of men and of man’s social institutions to raise up that perfect incorruptible society which is our true goal. It is the assurance that that goal is in the end to be reached – though we cannot reach it in a straight line by our own power. (Signs Amid the Rubble: The Purposes of God in Human History, p. 50)

When you hear about the resurrection of the dead, what sort of things come into your mind?

This week we conclude our series, “Resurrection Hope,” on 1 Corinthians 15. Whether you are alone or with a small group, begin by asking God to speak to you and then read 1 Corinthians 15:50-58 aloud.

Paul brings together the various parts of his discussion of resurrection here, drawing implications both for those who are alive at the time of Christ’s return and those who have already died. Paul states a basic principle in verse 50 that normal, human bodies cannot “inherit the kingdom of God.” Why do you think Paul begins with this principle?

The phrase “kingdom of God” is common in the Bible, appearing eleven times in Paul’s letters, four of which are in 1 Corinthians. In general, the kingdom of God refers to the rule and reign of God entering into human existence. What is Paul referring to here in 1 Corinthians 15:50-58?

In light of the reality that “flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God,” Paul says that we will all be changed (once in both verse 51 and 52). What sort of change is he talking about for both the living and for the dead at this time (see verses 42-44, 50-54)?

What is Paul’s central, high point of celebration in verses 54-57?

What do you eagerly anticipate at a personal level about the ultimate victory over death at Jesus’ final return?

You might expect Paul to end with verse 57, but in verse 58 he turns the corner into our everyday lives here and now. What specific areas of our lives should be touched now by the hope of the resurrection? Which of these leaps out as most important in your life now?

What is one thing God is speaking to you through this study? If you are alone, write it down. If you are with a small group, discuss these things with one another.

What does it mean to live in light of Jesus’ victorious resurrection? What future hope does it bring to us? How should it shape our lives now?

These are the sort of questions we delved into this weekend at Eastbrook Church in my message, “Resurrection Victory,” This was the fifth and final weekend in our series entitled “Resurrection Hope” that draws from Paul’s words on the resurrection in 1 Corinthians 15.

The outline and video file for the message is below. You can view the message online here or listen to it via our audio podcast here. You can now access all the messages from the “Resurrection Hope” series here. You can also visit Eastbrook Church on Vimeo, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

When you hear about the resurrection of the dead, what sort of things come into your mind?

As we continue looking at 1 Corinthians 15 this weekend at Eastbrook, we are looking at what resurrection bodies are all about. Whether you are alone or with a small group, ask God to speak to you and then read 1 Corinthians 15:35-49 aloud.

In verses 35-41, Paul offers two pictures of what physical resurrection is similar to in our everyday experience. What are the two pictures and what do they communicate to us about resurrection? What other pictures do you find helpful or getting a sense of what resurrection means?

Paul summarizes the contrast between our current bodies and resurrection bodies in verses 42-44 with four word pairs. What are those word pairs and what do you think they mean?

The NIV translates the last pair of words, “it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body.” This phrase has caused some misunderstanding in the western world, particularly in some translations which contrasts a physical body with a spiritual body. The first phrase, translated ‘natural body’, is derived from the word for ‘soul’ and reflects being animated by human nature here. The second phrase, translated ‘spiritual body’, is derived from the word for ‘spirit’ and reflects being animated by the Spirit of God. This is not a contrast between the physical and abstract spiritual, but a contrast between ordinary human nature and spiritually renewed human nature. What do you see as the significance of this?

When you read verses 45-49, what sort of hope do you draw from these words?

What is one thing God is speaking to you through this study? If you are alone, write it down. If you are with a small group, discuss these things with one another.

What does the resurrection of Jesus have to do with our physical bodies?

I addressed just this sort of question in my message this past weekend, “Resurrection Bodies,” at Eastbrook Church. This was the fourth part in our series entitled “Resurrection Hope” that draws from Paul’s words on the resurrection in 1 Corinthians 15.

What are some of the biggest ideas you hear about the end of the world, whether funny or serious?

At Eastbrook this weekend, we continue our journey through 1 Corinthians 15 with Paul’s words about the resurrection of Jesus. Whether you are alone or with a small group, ask God to speak to you and then read 1 Corinthians 15:20-34 aloud.

In verses 20-23, Paul describes death coming through Adam and life coming through Christ. Read Romans 5:12-21 and discuss what it means that death came through Adam and life came through Jesus Christ.

Paul talks about Jesus’ victory at the Cross and resurrection as the beginning of the victory of God in verses 24-28. As you read these verses, what do you think this means?

What are your biggest concerns about the end of the world or Jesus’ return? What sort of thoughts and feelings do Paul’s words here conjure up for you?

It seems that Paul turns from the significance of the resurrection in a general sense to the everyday lives and character decisions of the Corinthians believers in verses 29-34. What does the resurrection have to do with the things he mentions here? (Please note that no Bible scholar is completely sure what is meant in verse 29 about being “baptized for the dead.” It may have been an aberrant practice that the Corinthians thought helped people connect with Christ.)

What significance does the resurrection have for you? What does it change about your life, hope, and character? What is one thing God is speaking to you through this study? If you are alone, write it down. If you are with a small group, discuss these things with one another.